Sunday, January 5, 2014

soup sunday · cheesy ham & potato soup

Oh, winter. You're powerful, and you've made that perfectly clear today. We've gotten almost six inches of snow, it feels like -13 degrees out there and there are 25 mph gusts of wind. Tomorrow, the high is 0. Nasty.

I'm so glad that our new house is right off of a P1 (first priority, plowed first) road. And all the roads between home and work are P1. I haven't been nearly as stressed out when driving in the snow, I know I'll be able to get home!

In preparation for today's storm, we did our grocery shopping yesterday morning. Steven and I were both craving some bone-warming soup and this cheesy ham and potato soup fit the bill perfectly!

It's super easy. I added a few extra steps because of our preferences, but I'm sure they were worth it! We each had a big bowl and a grilled cheese with fontina... oh so yummy.

In a stock pot, melt two tablespoons of butter and saute the onions and celery until translucent and tender. Add in two cups of stock and bring to a boil for a few minutes (I do this to cook down the onion and celery further - I like them super soft in soups). Add in the last two and a half cups of stock and the ham. Bring to a boil and then add the salt, pepper and potatoes. Return to a boil and immediately drop the heat to medium, letting the potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes.

In a separate
saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour
and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about one minute. Slowly stir
in heavy cream to prevent lumps from forming, doing the same with the stock until it's well combined. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until it started to thicken, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add in the cheese. Whisk until completely combined and set aside.

After the potatoes are fork tender, stir the cheesy roux into the stockpot until combined. Bring to a boil, cover and take off the heat. Allow the soup to sit for a few minutes before serving. Now is the perfect time to make those grilled cheeses for dipping.

Delicious. I had a big bowl for lunch today and I might just grab another for dinner too... It's cheesy, but not heavy. The potatoes are cooked just perfectly and the salty ham is wonderful. Yum.

I hope everyone is staying cozy and warm at home. This soup has certainly helped us. :)